UK Fans Go To Hellfest

More than 4,000 UK fans went to France to enjoy Hellfest, and event programmer Ben Barbaud reckons it’s a major sign the annual rock bash is getting international recognition.

It was also the first time the 6-year-old, 30,000-capacity gathering sold out – and it did so four weeks in advance.

Last year’s Hellfest topped out at 25,000 per day. Barbaud puts the improvement down to the increase in foreign visitors, with about one-third of this year’s crowd coming from outside France.

The festival takes place at Clisson, about 400 kilometres southwest of Paris.

The acts helping Hellfest get hot June 17-19 included Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Zombie, Apocalyptica, Judas Priest, Iggy and the Stooges, The Melvins and Scorpions.